In establishing a sand and gravel zoning district, the City Council shall find that:
(A) Consistency with city plans and policies. The proposed district is consistent with the text and maps of the comprehensive guide plan and the location is suitable in that the excavation, mining, processing, stockpiling or hauling of sand and gravel deposits will not tend to create a nuisance or exceed local, state or federal safety and environmental standards on the adjacent properties. The petitioner for a SG district, at his or her sole cost, shall provide information to help determine the suitability, including, but not limited to a completed zoning amendment application; exhibits illustrating adjacent and on-site buildings and land uses; existing elevations and percent of slope within and 300 feet beyond the perimeter of the site; environment assessment worksheet or impact statements; and fiscal impact analysis.
(B) Fiscal impact analysis. The fiscal impact analysis shall include two types of projections:
(1) A land use development scenario based on existing comprehensive guide plan and zoning designations.
(2) An alternative scenario based upon the assumption that a new SG district with a planned unit development end use is approved. Each fiscal projection shall include estimates of all known public improvement costs, timing of development, new development valuations, total annual property taxes per type of use, short term construction jobs, mining jobs and estimates of permanent jobs to be created based upon the end uses proposed, and the number of households, occupants and school aged children that could occupy the site after completion of each phase of end use development.
(C) Size. The proposed SG district shall cover an area of at least 20 acres. This limitation shall not apply when the tract of land is contiguous to an active sand and gravel operation, provided that both tracts are being operated by the same producer.
(D) Access. The sand and gravel district shall have direct access to nonresidential, collector streets or county roads of sufficient load carrying capacity to serve traffic generated by the sand and gravel operation.
(E) Environmental impacts. An environmental impact statement (as defined by Minnesota Environmental Quality Board Rules) shall be completed for each gravel mining project proposed. The proposed project shall meet the recommended standards provided by the environmental impact statement. The responses and recommendations of the environmental impact statement shall be considered by the City Council prior to any final action on a rezoning request. The application for rezoning shall not be considered complete until the time as final comment has been received on the adequacy of the environmental impact statement.
(‘81 Code, § A1-48) (Ord. 291, passed 4-21-83; Am. Ord. 472, passed 1-25-90)